Shikatema Oneshots
by thatboyshikamaru
Summary: A collection of oneshots! Based around Shikatema. Maybe some other couples too. Reviews appreciated! Ratings will vary.
1. King (K)

_King (K+)_

Shikamaru stared down the shogi board as he sat in front of it. All the pieces sat where they belonged. His eyes traveled the board, scanning piece by piece. They came to a halt at a single piece. The biggest piece. _The King._ Blank dark eyes stared into the smooth black symbol. His mind wandered into the past that seemed so long ago.

 _"...and that's checkmate," Shikaku leaned back and grinned at his son who let out a defeated sigh,"Looks like you're not strong enough to protect the king yet, boy."_

 _"The time will come," Shikamaru returned his dad's grin. I will do whatever I can to protect the king, he thought as he raised from his seat,"See ya dad, I'm off to go train for a bit."_

Konoha's future shinobi and kunoichi. They were the king that he sacrificed so much to protect. Asuma's analogy ran through Shikamaru's disturbed mind whilst he stripped his chunnin vest off. His fist rose and stretched out in front of him before it was slammed down onto the board. The pieces jumped from the board scattered onto the sleek wooden floor. His head now hung low and his body stiffened.

"Shikamaru, please go pick up some groceries for me," The shinobi raised his head and turned to the sound of her emotionless voice. Shikamaru nodded and stood up to leave the house. It was now two weeks after the war had officially ended. The Leaf, along with all the other villages, had suffered tremendous losses. Among those losses was his father. The Nara residence was unusually quiet nowadays. His mother didn't scold him anymore. She spoke only when she needed to, her voice always in a soft emotionless tone. Shikamaru barely spoke a word. It had been like this ever since he had returned from the war without a scarred man accompanying him. Life was barely manageable for the both of them.

The streets of Konoha were filled with loud noises of construction and chatting. The village wasn't fully rejuvenated, of course, but the people of Konoha had gained incredible progress the past two weeks. Shikamaru lugged the plastic bag of vegetables lazily, staring off into the sky. His mindless gaze was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Shikamaru," Shikamaru's eyes met the voice,"This was your father's. I found it while going through some things at the office."

The Sixth Hokage extended his hand that clutched a plain book, waiting for it to be claimed by the young nin,"Thank you, Lord Sixth."

In an instant, Kakashi disappeared, leaving Shikamaru to continue on his errand. As the lazy Nara trekked the street, he came across the training grounds, pausing to glance at it. He envisioned his younger self sparring with his sensei. The reminiscent vision was too painful for him and he averted his eyes, continuing on his path to home.

"I'm home," Shikamaru stepped into the kitchen and placed the bag down on the counter. The kitchen was vacant and dark. _She's probably upstairs._ He walked towards the room he occupied earlier, book in hand. _CLACK._ The sound of the shogi board being setup ringed in his ears. His eyes widened and his heart felt a pang of excitement. The book slipped out of his grasp and he dashed to the room, sliding the door open furiously. Empty. The shogi board still lay on its side, pieces scattered. He felt his heart sink and disappointment grow. Trembling, he neared the shogi board and eyed it. He lowered himself and began to set up the board once more.

It was not the first time he had felt that pain. It happened with Asuma before. His ears heard things in the past and he hated it. His emotionless eyes zoomed across the board as each piece was set in its respective spot. As the final piece, the king, was set down, his fingers remained attached to it. Drops of water crashed against the board's surface. Shikamaru's face bear no expression as he let the tears fall. His lackluster eyes stared down at the king.

"Do you mind if I play you?" A familiar female voice interrupted the painful silence. He nodded weakly and raised his arm to wipe his tears away. His opponent took her seat across from him, holding a delicate smile on her face. His eyes averted hers and stayed glued to the board still. He initiated the game by moving his pawn forward,"It's okay to let it out."

She moved her pawn to counter his,"I've felt what you've felt before, only I had no love for him anymore. I can only imagine how you feel right now."

He still had not responded to her in any way. He lifted his bishop and moved it to a strategic point,"I'm here to talk to you. You can tell me everything."

After some intermittent comments from the blonde haired girl, the game had come to a close. Shikamaru only needed to make one more move to win. His hand rose to pick up his knight that stared at her exposed king. He hovered the piece over its destination, fingers shaking violently. He couldn't do it. He couldn't make the move to victory.

"I...am a coward," His gaze had never risen from the board. His voice was soft and barely audible.

"Shika-"

"I couldn't. I can't. I've lost everything," His grip loosened on the piece, dropping it, and retreated his hand,"I've lost the people I loved."

The girl's hand slid the shogi board aside and she pulled him into her shoulder,"I understand."

"Temari...I don't want to lose people anymore," His tears started to unleash, dampening her shoulder. She patted his back and let him go. He had kept his feelings bottled up for way too long. His back rose up and down violently as his endless tears streamed out. His voice was barely audible,"I don't want to lose you."

 _Lose her? The people he loved. Did he love her?_ Temari's eyes widened as his whispers left his mouth. She took a moment to register what he said. Her arms tightened their grip around him and pulled him deeper into her. Her lips naturally wanted to tug upwards. If he DID love her...she needed to confess her own love.

His head rested on her lap, eyes staring up at the ceiling. He had run out of tears to shed. Her fingers became tangled in his hair as she toyed with it. She stared through the gap the open door created, inspecting the stars and moon. The silence of the room eased them into tranquility as they savor each other's presence. The stillness was broken by a soft whisper,"Shikamaru...do you love me?"

His eyes lazily traveled to her face. Her soft teal eyes studied the night sky still,"As troublesome as it is. Yes. I do."

Her eyes lowered to meet his gaze. Her face slowly descended into his. Her tantalizing sea green eyes stared into his dark onyx orbs. Both of their eyelids faded down as they got closer. Temari finally closed the distance separating them, meeting his lips with hers. They remained like this until the oxygen in their lungs expired. Their eyes were lost in each other's once again,"Does this mean you lo-"

"Of course it does you idiot," The redness on her cheeks grew. Shikamaru could only smile at her.

"Temari, thank you. I love you," His words earned him a warm smile from her.

"I love you too, Shikamaru."

-END-


	2. Insomniac (T)

A/N: Next few ones deal with character death. depressing ik.

 _Insomniac (T)_

Shikamaru _loved_ to sleep. He could never get enough of it. He would waste countless hours lost in his dreams while reality would pass by. But things were different now. The war had 2 ended years ago. There was peace for once. There was no more fighting. No more bloodshed. But there wasn't a certain troublesome someone around anymore. There was peace for everyone except for him.

Shikamaru was now a shell of the man he once was. He ate just enough to survive. He drank just enough to survive. He spoke only when he needed to. His face held no expression or emotion. Hell, he hasn't even shed a tear since that day. When he was off duty, he would go home and stay confined in his room all day. He never looked at clouds and he never slept. He _hated_ sleep.

It had been 4 days since that dreadful mission happened, meaning Shikamaru hadn't slept for 4 days. Every time he tried, his mind would get pestered with the image of _her_. Her body sprawled across the floor, beaten, bloodied, and lifeless. When it wouldn't be hellish dreams he experienced, it would be soft pleasant memories with her. Her smile. Her scent. Her eyes. Her laugh. He _hated_ it. She was gone and he could never experience it again. He hated seeing her through his dreams. He wanted to see her through his eyes.

At the moment, he lay in his bed with wide eyes. He had no intention of sleeping tonight, about to rack up 120 hours without sleep. The moonlight shone through the open window, illuminating his distressed face. Shikamaru shifted and faced the wall now. His mind was rambling on again. The thought of her poisoned his restless thoughts. He kept thinking how it could have been him instead. It _should have_ been him instead. She saved him at the cost of her life. It all could have been prevented if-

"Shikamaru." His bloodshot eyes grew wide as he recognized the voice. Her stern voice of concern. His mind screamed for him to turn around but his body remained frozen,"Shikamaru. This is not healthy."

After a period of silence, he finally scrambled in his sheets and sat up on his bed. His eyes finally saw her. It was her. Her sea-green eyes, her four ponytails, her confident smile, and just her. They were all actually there.

"T-Temari, I-"

"You need to sleep. Seriously, this is not good for you. You look horrible," Temari crossed her arms and shook her head in disapproval. Shikamaru ignored her concern and darted out of his bed, pulling her into an embrace.

"Temari, you're here." It was barely audible. For the first time since the incident, tears fell from his eyes. Tears of joy and relief, not sadness or grief. A smile forced its way on his lips,"Temari, you're here! Come on, let's go out tonight. There's this crazy thing that happened the other day, you won't believe it."

"No. Look at you Shikamaru. You're losing your mind. I just want you to sleep." She took his hand in hers and led him to the bed. He hesitated and she shot him a quizzical look,"What's up?"

"I haven't seen you in awhile. I thought we could do something at least." A yawn fought its way up Shikamaru's throat and forced itself out.

"Then join me and sleep." She lifted the covers over her and smiled up at him. He returned her smile and did as told. Temari wrapped her arms around him and drove her head into his chest. His arms pulled her to him tight and they took in each other's warmth. They remained in peace and silence until it was disrupted by a voice.

"Temari. I miss you."

"I know and I miss you too. Just don't miss me too much okay? We'll meet each other again someday." Her fingers drew patterns in his back as she lightly whispered.

"Don't leave me."

"I can't promise you that. But I can promise you that I'll wait, however long the time is. Now, sleep." Her grip around his body tightened and she hummed herself to sleep,"Goodnight Shikamaru."

Tears stained the pillow his head rested on. With a heavy heart and a choked up breath, he managed to mutter the three words he longed to tell her. "I love you."

 _I love you too, Shikamaru..._

* * *

His eyes lazily opened. The level of redness had significantly diminished. His head wasn't throbbing anymore. He could see clearly now. His eyes glanced over to the spot next to him. Empty. Shikamaru knew it was empty from the start. He was in a state of deliriousness and he envisioned her to be real. To be alive.

After straightening himself out, he paused and sat on his bed. He recalled the events of last night. His lips arranged into a grin. Hallucinating was better than dreaming. At least he was conscious when he hallucinated. So he decided the only way to see her is to avoid sleep. And that is what he did. He became an insomniac for her. Just to see her and spend time with her in his "reality". His health was slowly worsening but he did not care. Restless nights were something he looked forward to now.

Every week, she would visit him once. Only then would he be able to fall into deep slumber. He did not care that he was risking his health or if others concerned for him. Sure it was selfish, but for her he would never sleep again. _Temari, I won't keep you waiting any longer..._


	3. Flashing Before My Eyes (T)

_Flashing Before My Eyes (T)_

The air around him felt heavy. It smelt of rust and blood. Clouds of smoke surrounded his blurred vision. His eyes faintly registered a familiar face, looking down at him with sad eyes. His eyelids felt painfully heavy and desired to retire. He could barely hear the muffled pleads and cries as the kunoichi that held him repeated the same words.

"Shikamaru, stay with me!" Her voice managed to squeeze through the deafening ring in his ears. _Stay with you? I'll always stay with you, Temari._ Shikamaru tried so hard to voice his thoughts but even that required too much energy. All he needed right now was a good rest. He let his eyelids descend. A hand shook his head. _Damnit troublesome woman, let me sleep._ His eyes lazily opened to find Temari in his face, tears in her eyes,"Shikamaru!"

 _That's right...I'm dying. It all happened so fast._ His mind finally recalled what happened before he blacked out. Blood was all around him and now he faced the truth. He was gonna die and there was no way around it. He slowly blinked once. Her tear-filled eyes stared into his as she pleaded for his survival. With his last ounce of energy, he forced a smile out. _Temari, I'm sorry._

He slowly blinked once more. The skies were blue and the land around them was green. Birds were chirping and the rays of sun warmed everything. His onyx eyes opened and he saw a woman in front of him. A woman that he knew too well. She adorned a white dress and her hair flowed out of its usual style. Temari glistened in the perfect sun, making her seem like a goddess. She looked over her shoulder and shot him the smile that he loved. Shikamaru's eyes wandered down to her fingers and saw a single gold band around one. He inspected his own hand and found the same ring wrapped around one finger. His lips formed a genuine smile. _Temari, I'm sorry._

He slowly blinked for the third time. Young cries were heard through the room. Cries from a baby to be exact. "It's a boy!"

Of course his life plan was killed once again. Not only did he end up with the most troublesome woman he knew, he also ended up receiving a boy first. But now, he didn't care about his stupid little plan years ago. He was happy where he was. Shikamaru shifted his view to see Temari, holding their newborn son. A soft,delicate smile adorned her face as she lifted her eyes to meet his.

"Shikamaru, would you like to hold him?" Shikamaru grinned and made his way over to the side of her bed. He carefully took their son from Temari's arms and stared at him. It was as if he looked at himself. Tears welled up in his eyes as the baby slept peacefully in his fathers arms. The corners of his lips naturally lifted. _Temari, I'm sorry._

Shikamaru smiled at the life that flashed before his eyes. _The life that could have been._

For one last time, he slowly blinked. But he couldn't finish it. His eyes refused to lift like it had before. They remained shut and he could faintly hear her cries. Shikamaru saw white now. It was all around him and it was blinding. He shielded his eyes with his arms and shut them. When his eyelids finally decided to rise, he saw darkness with a weak flickering light. The sound of fire cackling and shogi pieces slamming against a board were the only sounds he could hear.

"Shikamaru." The voice he had heard much of his life called out to him.

"Come join us. You can play the winner," A voice that he had heard since the start of his ninja career called out to him. Shikamaru slowly turned around to find his father and sensei playing shogi by a campfire. It took a moment for him to collect himself, but eventually he gravitated towards the two older men.

"Son, I didn't expect you to come so early. Tell me all about it." His father's eyes stayed glued to the board as he set his piece down.

"Yeah, I would like to hear too." Asuma crossed his arms trying to figure his next move. As always, a lit cigarette rested at the corner of his mouth.

"Asuma, Dad..." He took a seat and spectated their game. His dad was about to win, as always. Shikamaru let a wide smile show, similar to the one Temari would adorn,"I'll tell you everything."

 _Temari, I'll wait for you. Forgive me._


	4. Conversations (T)

A/N: I wrote this really late at night so if there's some stuff that's weird, you know why. And Should I continue this? Modern AU.

* * *

 _Conversations (T)_

Scanning everyday products and groceries was not the ideal job Shikamaru wanted. But a job was a job and a tuition was a tuition. He would clock in after class and spend the next few hours of his life trying his best to minimize interaction with customers. It wasn't that he disliked sociable people, it was just the fact that he didn't want to listen to their endless spill of troublesome words. And then he would slow down because he didn't want to be rude and cut them off, which led to work slowing down altogether. Conversation is and will always be troublesome.

A pack of instant noodles slid its way into his view. He reached for it, looking for the bar code, and ran his scanner over it. "Welcome to Konoha Market. How was your shopping experience?"

An amused _tch_ sound came from the customer's mouth as he punched several buttons for the price. "You should really have more enthusiasm on the job you know?"

Shikamaru sighed at the critical remark and began to bag the items. "It's not like I want to say it. I have to."

"And I can see why you're stuck at the cash register hating your life." Another sigh escaped the worker's lips. His lazy eyes finally looked from his task at hand and inspected the customer. A backpack hung from one shoulder as she counted the dollar bills in her hand. She had hard teal eyes and her blonde hair was styled into four ponytails. He had seen her around campus several times before, but mostly he recognized her from psychology class. "If you look at your job from a different point of view, maybe you wouldn't be so miserable."

"Troublesome." He muttered it under his breath out of habit and hoped she didn't catch it. Finally, he shoved her box of tea into the bag and set it aside. "That will be fifteen ninety-five."

She forked over a ten and five along with some loose coins. He began to punch some numbers into the register, until she distracts him by raising a finger to aisle 5. "You should try to be more like that guy over there."

His gaze follows her finger, finding Naruto recklessly throwing the customer's items into the plastic bag with a wide grin on his face. His eyes then shift to the customer, who was blushing madly. Nothing out of the usual. Hinata would always go to aisle 5, where Naruto mainly operated from.

At this moment, Shikamaru's bright mind gave him a bright idea. He would lose nothing if he tried it, she was practically a stranger. Although, she would catch his attention sometimes during school. A smirk made its way onto his lips and he turned to his customer. "Are you implying that I should ask you out?"

Clearly taken aback, the girl began to stammer away, trying to mask the scarlet scrawled all over her cheeks. "What are you saying?"

"Well you see, Naruto over there is always extra friendly when a certain someone visits. And that certain someone happens to be there right now, and by the looks of it, he's asked her out on a date. So by you saying I should be more like-"

"Okay I get it. And no, I did not imply that I wanted you to ask me out. Just hurry with my shit and I can leave." It was a good thing there was no one behind her. Good because it was bad to keep a customer waiting for so long just because of conversation, and also good because no one witnessed what had just happened. A flimsy sheet of paper stuck out to her and she accepted it, along with her bag of items.

"I'm done with your shit so I guess you can leave now."

"Thanks." The girl took a few steps forward before looking back, finding him turned to a new customer now. "And for your earlier question, my shopping experience was great actually.

Shikamaru peered over his shoulder and looked at her with a dumb expression. She stood there for a quick second, staring back at him. Finally, she flashed him a glowing smile and out the door she went. Shikamaru swiveled his attention back to his job and began to bag the products.

"Welcome to Konoha Market. How was your shopping experience?" The customer began to chat away for a bit but his ears drowned it out.

He could only think of the interaction that had taken place a few minutes ago and inwardly kicked himself. Maybe he should be more like Naruto. Maybe he _should've been_ more like Naruto right then and there. But he didn't so now he stands there, miserable once more, wondering when she's going to return. And when she does, he'll take her advice and be way more enthusiastic.


	5. Motherly Interactions (K)

A/N: I have been slacking off a lot and am not proud lol. I'll try to get a few more up by next week at least but for now enjoy this mother-son "bonding"

* * *

 _Motherly Interactions (K)_

He eased the door open as soft as possible, trying to prevent any noise from being produced. He allowed himself to slip in stealthily, using techniques he had acquired through his training. A slight creak came from the hinges as he closed the door. All he had to do now was cross the kitchen and head upstairs where he would be safe from his mother's wrath. It was late but a light emitted from the kitchen. The teenager inwardly cursed and embarked on his battle of stealth. With every step, he shifted his weight to avoid any noise. He held the air in his lungs as he crossed the glowing room. The sound of water rushing down the sink came to a halt as his right foot made contact with the first step to safety.

"Young man." He gulped and tried to ignore his mother's stern voice. He lifted his left foot to meet the second step to safety. "Shikamaru! Get your ass in here now!"

Letting out a groan, the younger Nara retraced his steps and appeared before his mother. Her arms were crossed and eyebrows furrowed. Never a good sign. "Why were you out so late?"

"Mom, it's only -"

"I don't care. I asked for a reason. Now tell me why." She raised a hand and he cowered in defense.

"I-I was out with a friend." Not just a friend though. A few minutes ago, he had walked a certain someone back to her hotel from a meal at a random restaurant. A date, it was called.

"And you dare dress like that to a date?" The Nara intelligence that ran through the family definitely did not help Shikamaru in this situation at all. Of course, his mom had the wit to quickly read the situation. She stuck a finger out at his "dishonorable", she would call it, choice of wardrobe, which was unsurprisingly his regular shinobi attire.

"It was just a casual dinner. It was last minute too."

"I'm not surprised. I know my son's a lazy boy and never plans for anything." She let out a light-hearted chuckle at his defeated expression. She turned back to the pile of pots and pans in the sink, still needing to be scrubbed. "But I am so happy for you, finally going out with her after all this time. Tell me, when am I going to be seeing some grandchildren?"

A sputter came from the teenager's mouth as he stared at his mom in awe. "Don't you think it's too soon for that? I'm not even married yet."

"Oh ho, but just give it some time and I'm sure all the formalities will be taken care of." She began to scrub away at the contents in the sink.

"How are you so sure that I was out with someone special? I haven't even told you anything. It could've just been a friend you know." He pulled out a chair and sat on it, leaning an arm on the table.

"But it wasn't just a friend, that's all I know. When are you going to introduce me to her?"

"Huh? And let two troublesome women nag me at the same time? No thanks, that's the last thing I want." His mother turned her head and shot him a death glare.

"I guess I just have to meet her myself. Maybe I'll run into her sometime." _I hope not._

"Mom, you don't even know what she looks like."

"Maybe I'll even follow you to where she's staying." _That's ridiculous._

"Mom, that's ridiculous and creepy."

"Maybe you'll invite her over." _That would be too troublesome._

"Like I said, that's the last thing I want."

"Maybe _I'll_ invite her over." _Even more troublesome._

"Please don't."

"I guess it's just hopeless then. But Temari-san really seems like a nice woman that I'd want to meet." Shikamaru's dark eyes pierced into his mother's back as he watched her wash a pot. Of course she knew. "Do you think I'm that oblivious Shikamaru? Remember that your mother was once a strong willed kunoichi. And a ninja is always observant."

"No, I was just waiting for the moment you would finally spit it out." The sound of a chair scooting followed his voice.

"Temari is the toughest kunoichi in all of Suna. I see how soft she gets when she's around you."

"What? When have you seen us together?"

"Recently, all the time. I was suspicious way before though." _Are we really that obvious?_

A sigh followed her answer. "Just remember, even the toughest woman shows her soft side to the man she truly cares for."

"Yeah, I'll never forget." He gave his mother one last look and rose from his seat. "Anyways, it's late like you said. I'll go clean up and head to bed. Goodnight mom."

"Since it's late, like you said, I'll go clean up and head to bed. Goodnight mom."

"You're cleaning the courtyard for staying out past your curfew tomorrow. Goodnight." Shikamaru groaned to himself as he trudged his way to the door. He was about to set foot on his flight up when his mom's voice called out to him once more.

"Shikamaru?" He turned back and looked at her, letting out a soft grunt. "Your father would be proud."


	6. Name (T)

A/N: Two posted in one day! Here is the continuation of the grocery store AU. More to come from this AU soon! Also if you could give me some prompts to write about, I'll do my best to create a story on it!

* * *

 _Name (T)_

He was assigned to work in the storage section for a short while. He was relieved to be relieved of his cashier duties, but honestly, he feared that he would miss her if she did come back. It had been a week since the incident, and she wasn't back, which wasn't surprising because he figured she wouldn't be needing to replace a pack of instant noodles and tea so quick. He had seen her a few times during university, but she was always across of the lecture hall. She would be gone in an instant once class ended, and all his hopes of speaking to her once more were crushed.

"Shikamaru, can you bring these out and restock?" Kiba set down four crates in front of the lazy boy.

"Yeah." It wasn't like he was doing anything better. Counting boxes and shipped goods is not exactly fun.

"Thanks."

"Mhm." With a sigh, Shikamaru reached down for the boxes and examined it. Its contents read instant tea and he navigated his way through the aisles to the 'Caffeinated Drinks' section. He set down the heap of crates and began to replenish the empty sections. He let his mind wander in an effort to kill time. He thought it would be funny if he ran into her. She did buy a box of tea last week so it wouldn't be surprising if he found her wandering around these aisles. He set down the last few boxes into the shelf and began to gather the empty crates when a box decided to let gravity take it down.

"Fuck." Shikamaru cursed out loud and went to go pick up the fallen green box. He felt a piercing stare on him and looked up to find a mother, scowling at him. Her son was staring at Shikamaru as well. He realized what he had just done and quickly apologized for his language. "S-Sorry miss. It was an accident."

The lady wheeled her cart off, shaking her head as she went. Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck as he watched her go and turned to the shelf to fit the box back in.

"Nice one." His eyes traveled to the voice, finding the girl from last week. She went up to him and snatched the box from his hands before he could place it. "I'll be taking that."

"H-Hey, you're from last week." _Smooth, already stuttering._

"Oh? So you remember." She crossed her arms and looked at him, a smirk adorning her face. "Is your enthusiasm here this time?"

"Tch, troublesome. I'm just restocking so why would I need to show enthusiasm?"

"To not get dirty looks from mothers like you just did."

"I cursed in front of her son. Any mother would have reacted the same. Anyways, you're back for more tea already?"

"Lately, I've been staying up late to study for the upcoming midterms. So I really need the caffeine and I don't like coffee that much."

"Ah, I haven't been doing much studying. I guess I should start soon."

"Yes you should. You wouldn't want to run out of time to study." _She sounds like my mother._ Shikamaru couldn't help but notice her nature.

"Yeah. That would be troublesome."

"Well, I hate to kill our talk here, but I have to go. See you around maybe, _Shikamaru_." Before he could say anything, she was gone, leaving him dumbfounded once more. _She knew my name?_ Grumbling, he reached down to resume his earlier actions and rearranged the emptied crates. It was at this moment, he caught sight of his name tag and slapped himself for being so dumb. Of course it was the name tag.

"Shikamaru! I need your help with some of these boxes." The voice rang from the doors of the storage room as Shikamaru lazily trudged over. It dawns on him that he did not do anything he told himself to do from the week before. He wasn't like Naruto so he didn't ask her out. And he barely showed enthusiasm. He cursed under his breath, making sure no mothers were around (just to be safe), and told himself next time. He needed to at least get a name.


	7. Favor (T)

A/N: Damn my mind for getting ideas so late at night...anyways here you go!

* * *

 _(T)_

She felt warmth in front of her and a slight breeze on her back. There was a sharp pain that jabbed at her right side and numbness that traveled down her right leg. A sturdy structure supported her chin and arms clamped around legs. She could swear she was moving, but she was giving no effort to do so. The sound of heavy footsteps was all she could hear. Her teal eyes slowly fluttered open and looked at the path in front of her. A slight yawn escaped through her lips.

"Oh, you're awake now." The voice was awfully close and she shifted her head to find a sloppy ponytail. "You've been out for thirty minutes now."

"Huh? Thirty minutes?" She tried to think of what lead to this but a throbbing headache prevented her from doing so. "What happened?"

"It's a long story. Too troublesome to tell right now."

She was slowly escaping her half dazed state, now full aware of her position. She was being carried by Shikamaru, piggyback style. "H-Hey, let me down from here!"

"And you leave you here to die? No thanks, I'm not trying to start a war with Suna."

"Then I'll force my way out." She rearranged her arms to where she could give a slight push but a jolt of pain traveled through her body.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Your leg is busted up pretty bad." Temari tilted her head and saw the messy bandages that wrapped around her leg. She decided not to fight this for now, but she wasn't going to surrender yet. She was going to walk alongside him, not let him carry her like this.

.

.

A couple of minutes had elapsed since their last talk. They, or rather Shikamaru, kept trekking along the familiar road that lead to Konoha. There was only about an hour left of walking to do.

"Shikamaru."

"Hm?"

"Let me down."

"Tch. It's like you want to die, troublesome woman." He hadn't faced her yet, not that he really could, but she wanted to see his current state. Walking for forty minutes straight with someone on your back was not an easy task to do. "You're in no position to walk right now. You can't even if you wanted to."

"I do want to. So at least let me try."

"I don't want to risk you further inuring your leg, Temari." She could only pout and remain where she was. Another ephemeral period of silence passed until her voice broke it.

"I shouldn't have let my guard down." She successfully recalled all the events earlier.

"Don't worry about it."

"It's my fault we're in this situation."

"No, it's not. I didn't know they were going to do that either. So I guess you can say the blame is on the both of us."

"No, Shikamaru. It's really my-"

"What? Can't you let me enjoy the fact that I actually saved you for once?" His voice softened. The usual blunt and laziness ring in his voice was no longer there. He turned his head to face her. "Really Temari, it's ok. You shouldn't worry. Call it a favor if you want."

Her eyes widened as she examined the streak of blood that began at his forehead and ran past his left eye. In an instant, guilt overcame her mind. "Y-you..."

"I'm ok. We're almost there."

"You're stubborn you know. Alright, I'll call it a favor."

"Not as stubborn as you. Just doing what a man should do."

"We're taking a break whether you want to or not. You need it."

He let out a sigh of resignation and let a smile out. "I can't argue with that. We'll stop at the nearest store, which shouldn't be far...until then, just hang on."

A huff of content was her response. Temari tightened her grip on him and leaned her chin on his shoulder. A slight blush emerged and the corners of her lips tugged upwards. She could get used to this.

.

.

"I told you I could've walked all along."

"...What a drag."

* * *

A/N: Yeah idk what this is haha


	8. Playing Dirty (T)

A/N: Drabble dump on the way!

* * *

 _Playing Dirty (T)_

"Mom, why do you always call dad a crybaby?"

A sputter was heard among the three seated at the dinner table. The sound of a fork being set down followed the noise from the older Nara,"Well, you see-"

"He asked me. I think it's better if I tell it anyways," Temari shot a playful smirk at the flustered man. Shikamaru recognized the malicious intent in that smirk and groaned, slouching back in his chair. His cheeks were slightly stained with crimson. Shikadai poked at the spinach that rested on his plate before setting his fork down and giving his mom his undivided attention,"It was way back when we were chunin. Uchiha-san had abandoned the village and went off to Orochimaru. Your father was called for a mission to recover him."

Shikamaru poked at his food, imitating his son's earlier actions. He had gone through the whole story in his head. Temari seemed extremely proactive in telling this story and he figured there was no way out of this. He sit back and let his wife take course.

He had drowned out her voice up until now. His genius mind helped him, once again, and he sprung into action. She was a quarter way through her tale when a sudden cough interrupted her. Temari' threw a glance at her husband, who's face adorned a mischievous smirk. His hand raised to shield his mouth from his son and he mouthed the following words. _No sex for a week._

Temari hesitated and glared at him with slightly widened eyes. She never thought he would pull this card on her. Her mind paused for a quick second and wondered if the consequences were worth it. She decided it was not worth it and stubbornly gave up. But that didn't mean her husband would go unpunished for this cunning act.

"Mom, then what?" The sound of her son's voice snapped her from her trance and she returned to reality. Her eyes met Shikamaru's and she resigned.

"And then I called him a crybaby."

"But he didn't even cry."

"Yes. It's just a nickname. Now hurry and finish your food." She ended her sentence with a disgruntled sigh and glared at Shikamaru. He returned her look with a victorious grin and returned his attention to the dinner in front of him. Temari figured she'd have to wipe that stupid smile off his face soon. _How dare he play dirty._


End file.
